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Tracks FAQs: How Do Heart Attack Hospitalization Rates In My Community Compare With Other Counties Or States?

In this podcast, CDC Tracking experts discuss how to compare heart attack hospitalization rates in your community with other counties or states.
Do you have a question for our Tracking experts? Please e-mail questions to trackingsupport@cdc.gov. Created: 9/1/2011 by National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Environmental Health Tracking Branch.
Date Released: 9/1/2011. Series Name: Environmental Public Health Tracking.

Tracks FAQs: How Do Heart Attack Hospitalization Rates In My Community Compare With Other Counties Or States?

[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC - safer, healthier people.

[Desiree Robinson] Hello everyone. Thank you for tuning in to the Tracks FAQs Podcast, where we explore topics about CDC's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. In this podcast series, CDC scientists address frequently asked questions about the National Tracking Network, including using and applying data, running queries, and much more. Epidemiologist Heather Strosnider joins us to answer one of our top questions. Thanks for joining us.

[Heather Strosnider] Thank you.

[Desiree Robinson] Heather, many Tracking Network users want to know the answer to this question… What is the rate of heart attack hospitalizations in my community and how does it compare to the rates in other counties or states?

[Heather Strosnider] To find information on heart attack hospitalization rates, visit the query page and select "heart attacks" as your content area. Then select "hospitalizations" as your indicator. The Tracking Network offers three measures of heart attack hospitalizations: age-adjusted rate, crude rate, and a number. The most accurate comparison between geographical areas is an age-adjusted rate. This rate has been statistically modified to decrease the effects of age on the data. Modification is necessary because many diseases or illnesses, such as heart attacks, occur at different rates in different age groups. The age-adjusted rate allows for a more accurate comparison. After selecting the measures, you can select the locations and the time periods you'd like to compare. You can even separate results by gender. After running the query, you can view the data as a map, table, or graph to visually determine if the rate in your community is higher or lower than the rates of other counties or states.

[Desiree Robinson] Special thanks to CDC Epidemiologist Heather Strosnider for joining us for this episode of Tracks FAQs. Thank you, Heather. That's all for this episode of Tracks FAQs. To submit a question for a CDC Tracking expert to address in this series, please e-mail trackingsupport@cdc.gov.

Tracks FAQs: How Do Heart Attack Hospitalization Rates In My Community Compare With Other Counties Or States?

[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC - safer, healthier people.

[Desiree Robinson] Hello everyone. Thank you for tuning in to the Tracks FAQs Podcast, where we explore topics about CDC's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. In this podcast series, CDC scientists address frequently asked questions about the National Tracking Network, including using and applying data, running queries, and much more. Epidemiologist Heather Strosnider joins us to answer one of our top questions. Thanks for joining us.

[Heather Strosnider] Thank you.

[Desiree Robinson] Heather, many Tracking Network users want to know the answer to this question… What is the rate of heart attack hospitalizations in my community and how does it compare to the rates in other counties or states?

[Heather Strosnider] To find information on heart attack hospitalization rates, visit the query page and select "heart attacks" as your content area. Then select "hospitalizations" as your indicator. The Tracking Network offers three measures of heart attack hospitalizations: age-adjusted rate, crude rate, and a number. The most accurate comparison between geographical areas is an age-adjusted rate. This rate has been statistically modified to decrease the effects of age on the data. Modification is necessary because many diseases or illnesses, such as heart attacks, occur at different rates in different age groups. The age-adjusted rate allows for a more accurate comparison. After selecting the measures, you can select the locations and the time periods you'd like to compare. You can even separate results by gender. After running the query, you can view the data as a map, table, or graph to visually determine if the rate in your community is higher or lower than the rates of other counties or states.

[Desiree Robinson] Special thanks to CDC Epidemiologist Heather Strosnider for joining us for this episode of Tracks FAQs. Thank you, Heather. That's all for this episode of Tracks FAQs. To submit a question for a CDC Tracking expert to address in this series, please e-mail trackingsupport@cdc.gov.